Automatic train pipe coupling



Nov. 20, 1934. l

J. ROBINSON AUTOMATIC TRAIN PlPE coUPLING Original 'Filed Dec. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l t4 ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1934. J. RoBlNsoN '1,981,004

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING original Filed Deo. 16. i930 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING Joseph Robinson, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application December 16, 1930, Serial No. 502,761 Renewed July 12, 1933 6 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe couplings for railway cars. Among the objects is to provide an improved support for the coupling head of such devices, in which the head is pivoted on the forward end of the support to accommodate the automatic coupling to car coupler slip-bys without damage.

The novel means by which this object is accomplished is herein later described and is i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings in which l Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement; v

' Figure 2 is a sectional plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the funnel member of the coupling head;

Figure 4 is a sectional front elevation on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of a modication of my improvement; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modication of the plunger shown inthe preferred form of my invention.

My improved coupling is supported from the car coupler in the usual manner as by a lug A welded to or formed integral with the coupler. My improvement may of course be otherwise attached to the car if desired. A bracket B is bolted or riveted to the lug and is so arranged as to support the pin and funnel coupling head C on approximately the transverse center line of the coupler and with its coupling face a suitable distance in advance of the pulling face of the coupler. At its lower end the bracket is provided with a vertically extending lug oranchor device 6 preferablyround in cross-section and having on its front face an indentation or recess forming a seat 7 (Figure 4) which pivotally receives the elongated perforated head 9 of a tie rod D, the contacting faces of the tie rod .and the Seat being flared in opposite directions. The arrangement is similar to the construction shown in my Patent No. 1,908,866-the tie rod being provided with an adjustable abutment 0r supporting nut 8 which positions the rear end of the spring F and by which the spring is placed under the desired initial compression in assembling the parts. Above and below the seat 7 the bracket is provided with crosswise extending 50 Vbars or projectionsl which constitute shoulders or supporting. lugs. Between these, and

spanning the lower portion of the bracket B,

and the tie rod 9, I slidingly mount a body or yoke E. The yoke is provided with spaced sides 55 or straps 11 which carry at their rear ends an rone side thereof. v .the plunger 18 is provided on the inner or bot- 90 integral or otherwise arranged flange or projection 12, the strapsl 11 beingv widened at their point of connection with the flange to form positioning webs or fillers 14. These webs lit rather i closely between the crossbars 10 and serve to il@ preventundue rotation of the yoke and the c0uplinghead about theirrlongitudinal axis when in the normal uncoupled position. To permit of substantial raising or lowering of the head C from the normal position (Figure 1) Without 65 too Aearly losing the positioning effect of the widened portions 14 of the yoke E, I preferably extend such portions forwardly parallel with the yoke a short distance as at 15. Extending rearwardly from the rearv slide ofthe flange 12 I 7 providea barrel or sleeve 16 which receives the forward portion of the buier spring F and guides .and maintains the spring in position with respect to the yoke E when the coupling head vC pivots to the position `,shown by the'dot and dash lines 75 in Figure 2. Between the rear side of the flange 12 and the frontend of lthe spring F, and enclosing a portion of the spring, Il provide a housing or plunger base 17. Projecting forwardly from one side of -this housing I provide an yarm 30 or plunger 1810i any suitable cross section, preferably round or that of an I-beam. The arm passes through a recess or opening 19 in one side of the flange 12, Figure 4, and extends forwardlyv along one side of "the yoke and through a properly fitted bearing formed in the tapered lug 19. The lug is integral with orotherwise connected to the yoke and projects away from Afwide bearing surface for Ais given considerable width. The base 17 is pro- 95 vided with an annular seat 21 for the spring F which seat slides freelyv over the guide or barrel 16 of the yoke.` To strengthen the connection between the plunger 13 and the annular seat 21, I extend the housing wall to which is connected the arm 18 a considerably greater distance rearwardly than I do the opposite side of the housingy and for the same purpose I also provide a strengthened rib 22 which spans the connection between the arm 18 and seat 21. 105

At its forward end the yoke E is provided with a perforated head 23 which lies between rearwardly extending ears or lugs 24 formed on the rear side of the coupling head C. A suitable pivot pin 25 joins these parts as shown and is 110 suitably locked in place as by a cotter pin26. Extending away from one side of the yoke I provide a rugged lug 27 the front face of which lies in the plane of the axis of the pivot pin 25. A complementary bearing or lug 28 is provided on the rear side of the head C to abut the front face of' thisr lug. and thus properly position the head with respect to the yoke. With this arrangement it will be obvious that the head cannot pivot to the right, viewed from the front' and that the head is held powerfully againstv the lug 27 by the constant forward thrust-of the spring F, there being sufIicien-tspace between the housing plunger base 17A and` the rear face of.'k

the flange 12 of the yoke to always assure this.

On its rear side or apex. the funnel 29` of4 the coupling head C is provided with horizontally and vertically extending ribs 30 and 3l (Figures 1 and 3) between which spaces 32 off'consider.- able size are formed to permit the exit of foreign'r substances that might otherwisev accumulate in the funnel, the vtwo horizontally extending ribs 30 forming a bearingorV way against which the forward end of thev plunger 18 bears. The funnel 29 is located'on the knuckle side of the car coupler. Couplers frequently' slip by on thisside in service, and when they do the extent of slip-by isl considera-ble and the funnels of opposing connector heads overlap, Vas shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Unless the coupling head C can pivot on the forwardend of the yoke E the buffer spring F will be compressed solid as the couplerspass the Vfull amount on this side, and will break or otherwise damage the bracket B or the tie rod D. Pivotedas illustrated in this application the coupling head will, however, yield under coupler slip-bys onthe knuckle side andv move, if necessary, to the'rather extreme positions shown by' the dot and dash lines in Figure v2. During such movement' the plunger 18 isv pushed rearwardly in its bearing inthe lug 19, and against the tension ofthe buffer spring F, the housing 17 at-v this time sliding along the guide 16 on the rear end of the yoke. At its extreme pivoted position the surface 33 of the head engagesthe adjacentside of the forward end of the yoke tollimit` the pivotal movement of the head iny this direction.' Pivotal movement ofthe head yin` opposite direction is, of course, prevented bythe lug 27. This i-s` done for the reason that coupler slip-bys on the guard arm side, which is theside'this lug is located on; arek of relatively short travel. almost never slip by ori-this side more than 5"'. This amount of travel thecompressional movement of the buffer springs F in the opposing connectors can accommodate `themselves to without damage. It is therefore not necessary to arrange the coupling headC so that it will swing to the right on its pivot pin 25 when the couplers sl-ip by on the guard arm side.- Should such movement be at anytime founddesirable, however, the hereinafter described modification of my improvement provides it.

Any suitable means may be employed to attach the usual train ypipe hose 34 to the coupling head C. I preferably laccomplish this by providing the hose with a suitable gasket carrying conduit'35 which I pass through the coupling head ata an angle to the longitudinal direction of the connector, and removably lockI the conduit in the chamber or housing-36 by a rugged plunger pin y37 extending through a wall of the chamber into The couplers lustrated in Figures 2 and 4 of my Patent 1,970,-

980, August 21, 1934, which was co-pending herewith. The forwardly extending base or horn 39 of the coupling head is provided with a blunt, and preferably hardened, nose 40 which is formed 'separately' of the baseq394 rand -is pressed thereinto. The'nose may, .of course,..b,e made integral'with the base 39 if preferred. When opposing coupling heads couple up in service the nose 40 settles into the rearwardly offset bearings 41 formed on the front face of the lugs 41 and thus-'bring the conduits 35 of the mating heads into.4 accurate alignment. It will be noted that the bearings or heavy webs 30 and 3l which cross the openingin the apex of the funnel are offset rearwardly a substantial distance from the4 bearings 41"; This is done to avoid the possibility of foreign substances gathering on the inner facesv of these webs and interfering with the proper seating of the nose 40 in the funnel.

' The modificationof my improved support showny in Fig-ureH 5 consists' in substituting.. for the'hereinbefore described plunger base-t7 and plunger arm 18, a laterallyl extending lug 42 formed'on the rear end ofthe yoke-E. Between this seatandthelug 19 I interpose a suitable compression spring-43, preferablyA of thel volute type. A cylindrical plunger `44fextends through the lug- 19, the-spring 43- and the seat 42,' as show-n, the plunger being reducedfi-n diameter at 45 to form a shoulder for the forward end of thespri-ng 43. The-'spring serves to position the coupling head C and resist pivotal movement thereof thesame as in the case of the previously described construction of my invention. To permit adjustment of the-'tensionwhich the spring 43 exerts on'theJplunger 44 andthe coupling head C, I threadingly mount`= in the lug 42'A an adjustable seat-46 which receives and supports therear end of the spring'43.A Yspaced openings 47 are provided in the threaded shank 48 of the seatto receive a suitablewrench or otherv tool with which to adjust the seat. I

In-Figure 6 I show-a modification of .the plunger 18' shown in Figures-1, 2 and 4. Theconstructionconsist's in provid-ing twin plungers 18 and'l located on diametri'callfy opposite sides 'of thehousing orv base 17. With this arrangement the lug `27on the forward vend of the yoke vwould 'be eliminated,V thus allowing pivotal movement of the coupling head to either the riglitonleftlonV itspivot pin 25.

It will, ofcourse, be understood thatthe pressure-which' the springs- F and 43 exert on the heads C must be sufficient to preventundesired movement of the headon its pivot-25, as in coupling on sharp curves, etc. I have found that 500v pounds resistance givessatisfactory operation of the heads.

lWhat I claim is: l

1. An automatic train'pi-pe coupling comprisingin combination, a couplinghead, a member pivotally connected `thereto and extending rearwardly thereof, a bracket-extending from above downwardly into said member, a tie rod projecting into the member and pivotally engaging said bracket, aA spring anchored to the bracket by said tie rod and serving to press said memlhead relative to said member.

2. An automatic train pipe coupling comprismg in combination, a couplinghead, a'hollow member pivotallyl connected thereto y.andfextending rearwardly thereof. a bracket the lower Dortion of which extends into the hollow of said member, a tie rod projecting into the hollow of the member and mounted for pivotal movement relative to said bracket, a plunger comprising a base and a forwardly extending arm, and a spring anchored in place by said tie rod and engaging the base of said plunger and serving to hold said forwardly extending arm in engagement with said coupling head to yieldingly resist pivotal movement of the head on said member.

3. An automatic train pipe coupling comprising in combination, a coupling head, a hollow member extending rearwardly from the head and having on its rear portion a laterally extending projection, said head lbeing pivotally connected to the forward end of said member, a bracket extending into the member with its rear face normally engaging said projection, a tie rod engaging the bracket and having pivotal movement thereon and extending rearwardly thereof, a spring surrounding said tie rod and serving to yieldingly urge said coupling head forward with the projection on said member yieldingly held against the rear face of said bracket, and a plunger device interposed between said spring and said member and extending forwardly along the member into engagement with a rear side of said coupling head to resist pivotal movement of the head on said member.

4. An automatic train pipe coupling comprising in combination, a coupling head, a bracket, a. member pivotally connected at its front end to said head and supported at its rear end on said bracket, a plunger movably mounted on said member and arranged to bear against said head at a point laterally of its pivotal connection to said member, and spring means for supporting said member on the bracket and for yieldingly maintaining said plunger against the head.

5. In an automatic train pipe connector, a coupling head, a member to which said head is pivotally connected, a bracket for supporting said member, a plunger arranged to yieldingly press against said head on one side of said pivotal connection, and a single spring for yieldingly maintaining said member on said bracket and said plunger in engagement with said head.

6. In an automatic train pipe connector, a coupling head of the pin and funnel type, a member to which said head is pivotally connected, a plunger bearing against said head on the funnel side of said pivotal connection, and a spring for yieldingly forcing said plunger toward said head.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

